In laying out small switch yards or spurs, and in repairing existing tracks by replacing short sections of rail, it is often necessary or desirable to use rails which are not provided at one or both ends with bolt holes to receive the fish plates or rail plates by which the rail is to be connected to a contiguous rail. Among common present practices, a C-shaped rail-piercing gun is used with a barrel arm on one side of the web of the rail and a back-up arm or anvil on the other side of the web, and a cross member extending across the tread of the rail. As presently used, the desired positions of the bolt holes are established by measuring lengthwise from the end of the rail and marking a chalk line. The elevation of the gun is then sighted visually so that the hole will be shot in the middle of the web. The space between the gun and the top surface of the head of the rail is then shimmed so as to provide a stable mounting for the rail gun. This process is repeated for each hole, which makes for a time-consuming and difficult task.
One of the objects of this invention is to provide means for forming fish plate bolt holes in the web of a rail quickly, easily, and accurately.
Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing description and accompanying drawings.